1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a file system, and particularly to a file system, applicable to a data processing system for a copying process, a facsimile communication process, a printing process and/or like, in which processed data is automatically captured and desired data can be read out of the captured data and processed. Further, the present invention relates to a storage medium storing programs used in such a file system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, important documents (including images and characters) which should be archived and documents which will be able to be used are filed as papers. However, in offices in which a large number of documents is archived, a large amount of space is needed to archive the documents and a large amount of time is needed to search the archived documents for a desired document.
Thus, in the recent years, with rapidity of data processing, development of data processing technology and cost reduction of memories, a file system in which data obtained by optically scanning documents to be archived is stored in a mass storage unit has been proposed. Such file systems starts to be used in various offices.
In such a filing system, document data items are systematically classified in accordance with types thereof in a database so that document data Items can be easily retrieved. To improve usability, various types of file systems are being developed.
However, in conventional file systems, it is necessary to read documents using a scanner in order to store the document data in the storage unit. That is, a user must operate the scanner in order to store the document data. If a user does not decide to file a document every time receiving the document, the document is piled on a desk. In a state where a large number of documents are piled up, it is troublesome for the user to operate the scanner to read the documents while classifying the documents. As a result, only a small number of documents is archived in the file system.
In addition, even If the document data items are systematically classified in the database, classes of documents must be determined to archive the documents and key words must be assigned to the documents to easily retrieve desired documents. Since operations for the above are troublesome, the operations may not be done, so that only the document data items are stored in the database, As a result, the file system is not profitably used.
Further, the user determines whether or not a received document is archived in the file system. The user can not have the document which was determined to not be archived in the file system and abandoned.
Thus, in a case where it is difficult to determine whether a document is archived in the file, a long time is required to archive the documents.
Further, in the conventional file system, image data obtained by scanning the document is stored. If a user needs a document, image data corresponding to the document is read out and various image processes are then applied to the read image data so that the document having the same images as the original are printed out. Since various image processes are applied to the read image data, the document having the same images as the original can not be rapidly obtained.
Meanwhile, the documents to be archived in the file system may be copied documents used in conferences, facsimile documents received and/or transmitted by facsimile machines and printed documents in workstations (WS) and personal computers (PC). That is, the documents to be archived in the file system are obtained by converting original data into electric signals at least once and a printing operation based on the electric signals.
Accordingly, a general object of the present invention is to provide a novel and useful file system in which the disadvantages of the aforementioned prior art are eliminated.
A specific object of the present invention is to provide a file system in which processed data can be easily used in response to a request.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a file system in which processed data can be automatically captured without a specific operation for capturing the processed data.
Further, another object of the present invention is to provide a file system in which desired data can be easily and rapidly retrieved.
The above objects of the present invention are achieved by a file system in which a processing apparatus is coupled to a storage unit, the processing apparatus having at least one of a copy function for reading image data and printing the read image data on a sheet, a transmitting function for transmitting image data and/or character data via a communication line and a printing function for printing received image data and/or character data on a sheet, the file system comprising: storage management means for automatically causing the storage unit to store data equal to processed data corresponding to a processing result obtained by the function provided in the processing apparatus; and output management means for outputting the data read from the storage unit in response to a processing instruction supplied to the file system, wherein the storage management means has information obtaining means for obtaining specifying information specifying data to be stored by the storage unit so that the data to which the specifying information is added is stored by the storage unit, and wherein the output management means has display means for displaying either at least a part of each of data items stored by the storage unit or specifying information items specifying the data items, and operation means for selecting an item from among the items displayed by the display means and inputting the processing instruction, so that a data item corresponding to the selected item is output in response to the input processing instruction. According to the present invention, when data is processed by the function provided in the processing apparatus, data equal to processed data corresponding to a processing result obtained by the function of the processing apparatus is automatically stored In the storage unit without a specific operation for storing the data. Specifying information specifying the data to be stored in the storage unit is added to the data. The data items stored in the storage unit can be reused by selecting corresponding specifying information items or parts of data items which are displayed by the display unit.
The data processed in the processing apparatus can be automatically backed up in the file system and easily reused.
The above objects of the present invention are also achieved by a file system in which a processing apparatus is coupled to a storage unit, the processing apparatus having at least one of a copy function for reading image data and printing the read image data on a sheet, a transmitting function for transmitting image data and/or character data via a communication line and a printing function for printing received image data and/or character data on a sheet, the file system comprising: storage management means for causing the storage unit to store data equal to processed data corresponding to a processing result obtained by processing data in accordance with the function provided in the processing apparatus; and output management means for outputting data read out from the storage unit in response to a processing instruction, wherein the storage management means captures processed data obtained before printing in the copy function or the printing function and causing the storage unit to store the captured data, and wherein the output management means applies the data read out from the storage unit to the function which was used to process the data in the processing apparatus. According to the present invention, processed data obtained before printing in the copy function or the printing function is captured and stored in the storage unit. Since the processed data before printing is stored in the storage unit, the processed data read out from the storage unit can be rapidly printed out. Thus, the data backed up in the file system can be rapidly reused.